Bath Assembly Rooms

Elegant public rooms which hosted the hub of Georgian high society.

Designed by John Wood the younger, the Bath Assembly Rooms first opened their doors to polite society in 1771. Within weeks they became the place to see and be seen, with the grand twice-weekly balls attracting up to 1200 guests at a time. The ball room was able to boast the largest floor space in Bath and also benefited from high ceilings, which improved ventilation, and high-level windows which prevented any aspirants and onlookers on the outside from witnessing the affluent goings-on within.

Sadly the Assembly Rooms were bombed in 1942, but their subsequent restoration has carefully recreated the 18th century detail from the red-carpet in the foyer to the elegant pillars in the tea room. It is easy to imagine one of Jane Austen's graceful heroines waltzing the night away in the opulent Ballroom, while her more truculent hero retires to play cards.

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